


Namesake

by Dragon_Writes



Series: Uncle Jayfeather Chronicles [9]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: I think i'm going to make uncle Jayfeather a series, I will, Implied Character Death, Uncle Jayfeather, also we needed more of Jayfeather interacting with his nieces and nephew, except maybe Fernsong, if I need to be the one to make that an official tag, it's their warriors ceremony, no canon personality, so I fell in love with these three because they have like, so I get to design them, so I shall provide, take a wild guess as to who
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-10-18 10:13:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17578937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragon_Writes/pseuds/Dragon_Writes
Summary: They had always wanted to know more about the cats they were named after, and who better to ask than their uncle Jayfeather?





	1. Hollytuft

**Author's Note:**

> So first off I'd like to say thank you to Shiningheart_of_ThunderClan for the idea of these three asking about the cats they were named after! I decided to go with Hollytuft, but I might do more with both Sorrelstripe and Fernsong when I get the chance. Hope you enjoy!

“Hollytuft! Hollytuft!”

She held her head high and proud, her thick, glossy black pelt shining in the sun’s remaining rays of light, turning the sky a spectrum of streaky colours. The cheers of her clanmates echoed around the hollow, happiness filling the air as the three new warriors lined up together. Hollytuft looked to either side where her siblings resided, Fernsong bashfully keeping his eyes to the ground and Sorrelstripe looking towards the three’s parents. Lionblaze and Cinderheart made their voices heard above anyone else's, staring at their three grown-up kits with so much love and joy Hollytuft thought she could feel her heart burst.

As the cheers quieted down and the sky became steadily darker, Hollytuft padded over to her parents, her littermates only a pawstep behind. 'We’re really Warriors!' She thought, a smile threatening to break across her face. Keep calm, act natural.

“Well done you three,” said Cinderheart. “Warriors already! It’s hard to believe.” Taking a step forward, she licked Hollytuft between her ears, effectively breaking her attempts at keeping a straight face, before doing the same to Sorrelstripe.

“Muuum, you’re embarrassing us!” complained Sorrelstripe.

“Oh hush, let me have my moment to congratulate you,” she responded before reaching up and licking her son between his ears, shooting her daughter a smug glance as Fernsong purred. “See? You’re the only one arguing.”

Chuckling, Lionblaze came to Hollytuft’s side. “I’m proud of you all, you will be great warriors,” he purred. “And now you get to join us in the warrior’s den!”

“Oh great, then mum can give us all the affection she wants,” Sorrelstripe teasingly replied.

“You’re damn right I can, and I’ll make sure the three of you get nests close to ours, just so you’re in reach!” said Cinderheart, mockingly glaring at her daughter.

Rolling her eyes, Hollytuft glanced toward the medicine den to dee Jayfeather watching them. “Hold on I’ll be right back,” she said quickly before padding towards the scrawny medicine cat.

Presumably hearing her pawsteps, Jayfeather refocused his gaze to be directed at her rather than the small crowd. “Yes, Hollytuft? What questions do I have to answer this time?” he asked as she settled down beside him.

Ignoring the mild embarrassed burning of her ears at the remark, she turned her head to face him before responding. “I don’t always ask questions!”

“I’ll believe that when I see it.” He smirked as the meaning of the comment dawned on her, and she turned away with a small huff.

“Haha, very funny, since when do you make jokes?” Hollytuft responded indignantly

“Since you stopped asking questions, which has been never, and now my turn. What exactly are you here for, and why aren’t you celebrating with your littermates?” he asked.

“Aaw, can’t I see my favourite uncle without him assuming I’ll ask questions?” She said, grinning as he flicked his ears back at the remark. “Really though, I did want to see you, but now that you’ve mentioned it I do have one question.”

“Naturally,” he muttered.

Ignoring the comment, she continued. “Can you tell me more about aunt Hollyleaf?”

Silence answered her question as Jayfeather stared at the ground. Before Hollytuft could say anything more, her father and littermates padded over.

Noticing Hollytuft’s confused look at the absence of Cinderheart, Lionblaze spoke first. “Your mother went into the den to make sure your nests were perfect, what were you two doing?”

Before he could respond, Jayfeather lifted his head to face his brother. “Asking questions, as per usual.”

“What were you pestering Jayfeather about this time?” Sorrelstripe questioned, her tone teasing as she glanced at her sister.

“Hey! I’ll have you know I don’t just ask questions, I answer them too!” she responded.

Shaking his head slightly at his sisters’ antics, Fernsong turned to Jayfeather, who had been staring in the direction of the squabbling she-cats. “Sorry, uncle Jayfeather. Uh, if you want I could help you gather herbs if I’m not on patrol or something tomorrow? Y’know, just to make up for those two, heh.”

“I guess, though I’m holding Hollytuft accountable if I don’t have my helper,” Jayfeather responded, any remnants of his earlier shutdown at the mention of Hollyleaf vanishing.

“Hey!” Hollytuft retorted as Sorrelstripe laughed with their father. “Why would I be blamed!?”

“Because it means you’ve probably began interrogating him,” Jayfeather responded. Letting out a small huff of indignation, Hollytuft looked to the ground, but not before noticing her brother’s small smile at his kin’s antics.

“Alright, that’s enough, you three have had a long day,” Lionblaze said after shaking off the last of his laughter. He pointed his bushy tail towards the warriors den, now only visible from the light of the moon. “Come on, I bet you’re all exhausted, lets go to the lovely new nests your mother made.”

Noticing how tired she was, Hollytuft didn’t argue, and it appeared her siblings agreed. As she followed her father and littermates to the den, Jayfeather’s voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Hollytuft?” he said. “To answer your question, you’re a lot like my sister.”

As he padded back in the direction of the medicine den, Hollytuft looked up to the stars. “I’ll make you proud,” she whispered into the night, before going into the den and curling up in her new nest between her brother and sister. If she had still been awake to hear the responding breeze, she may have heard it almost sound like a quiet “I know.”


	2. Fernsong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I decided to continue this! I’ll try and get Sorrelstripe done soon, but here’s Fernsong! I’m typing this on my phone though so forgive any typos, I’ll edit when I’m home in a few days, for now enjoy!

The sun warmed his back as Fernsong padded along the leaf-strewn path, a warm breeze tugging at his bright golden fur and the smell of the forest surrounding him. Too distracted by the beauty of the nature, Fernsong failed to notice the bramble tendril cutting across his path. 

“Great StarClan, get your head out of the clouds, even I could tell that that was there!” Snapped the small grey tom a few paces ahead. Fernsong stumbled back to his paws, ears burning with embarrassment from the clumsy fall.

“Sorry, uncle Jayfeather,” he stuttered, paws shuffling nervously. Letting out a small huff, Jayfeather started walking again, Fernsong focusing more clearly on the path this time. 

After several moments of silence, they arrived at the abandoned twoleg nest. Despite being empty since many sesons before he had been born, Fernsong’s fur still began to bristle at the sight of the nest. Diverting his attention back to the small grey tabby, he padded over to where Jayfeather rummaged amongst the collection of leaves at his garden. “What do you need me to find?” Fernsong asked. 

Thinking for a moment, Jayfeather responded, “Tansy. And marigold, too, if you see any. You know what those are, right?”

“Uh, yeah, I’ll go find some now.”

Keeping his blind gaze to the herbs, Jayfeather pointed with his tail to where the tansy and marigold grew. “Be careful not to dig up the roots,” he warned, “or I’ll claw your ears off, it doesn’t matter if you’re my brother’s kit.”

Letting out a small purr of amusement, Fernsong turned to gather the herbs. “Yes, uncle Jayfeather, I know,” he said, before crouching to nip carefully at the plant stems. 

After a while, Jayfeather straightened up, various plants clasped in his jaws. “Are you done?” He asked sharply around the bundle.

“Oh, um, yep, I’m finished,” Fernsong replied, carefully picking up the plants and following Jayfeather away from the twoleg nest and back into the forest. 

The chirping melody of a bird sounded overhead, echoing through the trees. Smiling slightly at the sound, Fernsong began humming along around the stems in his mouth, his paws creating a steady rhythm. The gentle lapping of the lake joined the tune, the occasional scuffling of the undergrowth giving away the mice that resided there. Pausing to look across the lake, Fernsong stared in awe at the rippling waves, the sun’s rays streaking across the surface as it powered in the sky.

Too focused on the water, he failed to realise that Jayfeather has noticed his absence. He jumped as the small grey tabby sat by his side, ignoring Jayfeather’s amusement at his squeak of surprise. Setting down his herbs, Jayfeather gazed in the direction of the lake, large ears flickering at the sounds of the forest. “Care to explain why you’ve decided we aren’t needed back at the camp?” he mewed.

Shuffling his paws, Fernsong looked back to the lake, his own herb bundle placed by his paws. “Uh, the lake,” he mumbled back. He didn’t have a better answer. 

“The lake?” Jayfeather repeated, sightless eyes conveying his confusion as he tipped his head to the side. “You’ve seen the lake countless times, so why in StarClan’s name have you decided it’s important enough to stare at rather than going home?” Letting out a sigh, Jayfeather flickered his ears in irritation. 

“I-I don’t know, I just haven’t really been here at sunset, and I guess I didn’t realise how beautiful it was and I wanted to see,” Fernsong stuttered, his eyes darting across the landscape to avoid his uncle’s blind gaze.

Jayfeather shook his head, but made no move to return to camp. The two stared across the lake for a seemingly endless amount of time, the sounds of the forest quieting as the sun lowered in the sky. Fernsong gazed in wonder at the image of the lake in the sunset, the rays casting pale streaks across the surface and backed by the orange, pink, and purple sky before fading to an indigo speckled with stars, the spirits of their warrior ancestors.

“You’re a lot like her, you know,” Jayfeather’s voice broke the silence. “She always preferred to stop and appreciate nature. You’re worthy of her namesake.” He stood up and grabbed his bundle of herbs. “Come on,” he murmured. 

Eyes wide and alight with shock at his uncle’s unusually soft words, Fernsong grabbed his own bundle before scrabbling to his paws, giving one last glance to the lake and the stars reflected there. ‘I wonder if Ferncloud is one of them?’ he wondered. The glimmering specks in the sky were a reassurance to him, that his ancestors were there to guide him. ‘I’ll make you proud I’m your namesake,’ he silently vowed, padding after Jayfeather into the forest. 

Across the lake, a starry figure stood, her grey flecked pelt smooth and soft as it had been in life. Her pale green eyes shimmered as she watched the two pad away, the snappy blind tom she had helped raise and watch grow up, and his brother’s son. 

“You already have...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The more I write these the more I love these characters. Feedback is very much appreciated and (hopefully) I’ll get Sorrelstripe’s chapter done soon, but for now I hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading!


	3. Sorrelstripe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaah sorry this took so long! Our computer has been down and typing up on a phone is torture, but we got it sorted and I wrote this all in one sitting for you guys, so I hope you enjoy!

“I don’t see why I’M the one stuck on apprentice duties,” Sorrelstripe grumbled, clawing moss from the tree root and adding it to the ever-growing pile.

“Because that’s what happens when you put ants into Berrynose’s nest. Fire ants, no less,” Jayfeather replied. He didn’t glance up from his inspection of some sort of plant when responding to her, only a flick of his tail betraying his amusement to the situation.

Despite his inability to see her, Sorrelstripe stuck her nose up in indignation and glared at the tree bark. “Yeah, well, the arrogant furball deserved it, and I have a reputation to uphold.”

“Oh, I’m not saying he didn’t, but if you have such a reputation to uphold, I’d say be more discreet,” flickering his ears, Jayfeather turned to face her. “And besides, you’ve just made his grumbling even worse thanks to your little stunt. I don’t want him in my den more than he already is for the tiniest thing, and I’m getting sick of hearing about how much his pelt stings.”

“Good to know you support my decisions,” Sorrelstripe teased. Gathering the remaining moss into a pile, she clasped it in her jaws and padded over to the grey tabby. Hearing her movement, Jayfeather stood and began walking back towards the direction of camp. Slowing her pace to let the small grey tom take the lead, Sorrelstripe grinned at the idea forming in her mind.

Trying not to seem suspicious, Sorrelstripe carefully padded her way sidewards as she walked just behind her uncle, steadily gaining on him until she was only a short distance away at the same pace. Noticing his steps falter and eyes widen slightly as he realised what she was going to do, Sorrelstripe quickly made her move. Springing forward and dropping her moss, she bowled Jayfeather over.

“You stupid furball!” he squawked, paws flailing as he attempted to push her heavy brown pelt away. “For StarClan’s sake, I should have known!” Giving up on struggling, Jayfeather went limp beneath her. “I hate you.”

“Love you too, uncle Jay,” Sorrelstripe purred, grinning as he flattened his ears and scrunched up his muzzle at the nickname.

“And I hate my mouse-brained brother for teaching you that nickname, too,” Jayfeather grumbled. Putting his head in his paws, Jayfeather muttered incoherently under his breath. Sorrelstripe thought that she could hear the words “mouse-brained niece” and “fur-brained brother” uttered before he craned his neck to face her. “You’re not going to let me up, are you?”

Flicking his large ears with her brown fluffy tail, Sorrelstripe smirked at her scrawny uncle. “Nope,” she replied. Sighing, Jayfeather turned back to the ground, laying his head on his paws again and glaring into the distance.  
After several moments of laying there in silence, Sorrelstripe’s eyes widened and she sprang to her paws. “I still have chores to do!” Scrambling over to where she had dropped the moss, she pulled it all back into a pile and grabbed it in her jaws, Jayfeather chuckling at her predicament in the background. Unable to deliver a snide remark, she glared at his amused expression before speeding off toward camp.

***

Dragging her paws across the camp ground, Sorrelstripe padded over to the medicine den. The sun had almost set in the sky by the time she had finished with the nursery bedding, and all she had left to do was to check the elders for ticks. Crinkling her nose at the small of herbs and the thought of the mouse bile, she entered the den. Mewing a greeting to Briarlight, she squinted in the murky darkness of the den for Jayfeather or Leafpool. Tilting her head in confusion at the lack of either medicine cat, she reacted too late to the sound of Briarlight’s giggling.

A mop of grey tabby fur knocked her to the floor within a heartbeat, Briarlight and Leafpool’s laughter filling the den along with Jayfeather’s purrs of amusement.

“You should have known there would be payback,” he said, helping Sorrelstripe to her paws as she came back to her senses.

“I hate you so much,” Sorrelstripe muttered, though unable to keep the laughter out of her voice. “I’m disowning you as my uncle, I swear to StarClan this isn’t fair.”

When the four’s laughter had died down, Briarlight tucked her head in her paws and attempted to sleep, Leafpool heading to her own nest a moment later. 

“Hey, uncle Jayfeather, can I ask you something?” Sorrelstripe asked. At his nod, Sorrelstripe continued. “Cinderheart said that I’m a lot like Sorreltail. Is… is that true?”

Blinking thoughtfully, the grey tom stared at the floor sightlessly for a moment before responding. “Well, she was Cinderheart’s mother, so if she says you are then you probably are. But if you’re looking for a more specific answer, I’d say you take after her spunk. You’ve become as well known as her, and with a pretty good reputation for the most part. Just don’t go putting any more fire ants into your clanmates’ nests, and you’ll be good.”

“I still say Berynose deserved it,” she mumbled, but her mind was elsewhere, focused on the fact that she had learned something about herself and the cat she had been named after.

Ignoring the comment, Jayfeather continued. “Don’t you have mouse bile to get?” he asked, turning towards the herb store at the back of the den. Groaning, Sorrelstripe rolled her eyes before padding over to the spare moss at the side of the den.

“I’ll get you back,” she threatened, flicking him over the ear as she passed. “G’night, uncle Jay.”

“Yeah, yeah, now shoo. I don’t think the elders would appreciate you waking them up, so go back to the warrior’s den and leave me in peace,” Jayfeather replied. Shaking her head, Sorrelstripe padded out into the twilight clearing. Casting a quick glance to the stars before entering the warrior’s den, Sorrelstripe curled up between her two littermates.

Before she fell asleep, Sorrelstripe could have sworn she felt a lick between her ears before drifting off.

“Sleep well, my grandkit…” a she-cat’s voice whispered, before fading into the night air once again, a contented smile crossing Sorrelstripe’s face at the registered words. 

She slept well that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's the end of Namesake! I'm really enjoying writing the Uncle Jayfeather Chronicles, and feedback on what you would maybe like to see in the future would be great. Yes, I'm begging for comments, I need ideas on what to write for these idiot furballs that I've began to love! Before I go, I'd just like to thank Shiningheart_of_Thunderclan once again for the idea of Namesake, as well as anyone who has supported this series. Have a good day/night!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! I'm always willing to hear your thoughts on my stuff or ways to improve my writing, and I hope you have a good day/night :)


End file.
